Washing-machine



4 SHEETSSHEET I.

[Illuml llllllll lllllllll G. S. BLAKESLEE.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. I916.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

. JH I M I M H n l h l l M Huh q witness i/KM G. S. BLAKESLEE.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 1916.

& "U1 7 2 a z f s n G. S. BLAKESLEE.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 191s.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

dz/2674635 45 4AM GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed August 24. 1916. Serial No. 116.598.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines,of which the following is a specification, referenoe being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to washing machines of the'type in which a paddlewheel is employed for throwing a stream of water upon and across aseries of articles to be washed, which are being carried forward pastthe paddle wheel by a suitable conveyer. It is one of the objects of myinvention to pro- Fig. 1;

vide a new and improved arrangement of conveyer means; to provide a newand improved arrangement comprising a plurality of paddle wheels adaptedto cooperate for washing the articles traveling by upon the conveyer; toprovide new and improved means for preventing objectionable splashing ofthe water; to provide new and 1mroved means in connection with each ofthe paddle wheels for breaking up and spreading the water thrown uponthe articles to be washed;v and to improve washing machines of this typein sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by whichI have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. Thatwhich I believe to be new and desire to cover by this application is setforth in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of my improved washing machine- Fig. 2 isa longitudinal verticalcross section taken substantially on line 2-2 ofFig. 31s a transverse vertical section through my machine takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail illustrating the means for driving one ormore of the paddle wheels, being partly in section, taken on line i -4:of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 4 as seen from theleft insaid Fig. 4;

g. 6 is a top view bf one of the conveyer belts; and

Fig.7 is a longitudinal section through the belt of Fig. 6, being takensubstantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings in which correspondingparts are indicated by the same reference characers,

15 indicates a tank divided by a partition 16.1nto two com artments 17and 18, the com artment 17 eing adapted to contain was ng water providedwith a suitable cleaning agent, and the compartment 18 being providedwith clean water for rinsing purposes. The tank 15 is supported by meansof a suitable framework 19. water is adapted to be fed to the tank 15 bymeans of a pipe 20 from any suitable source of supply, valves 21-22being provided for ontrolling the supply of water. The water in thecompartments 1718 is heated by steam introduced through a line of piping23 rovided with valves 24l25 for controlling tl ie admission of steam.As best shown in Fig. 2, the pipe 23 is provided at its inner ends withnozzles 26-27 of any suitable type for controlling the entrance of thesteam from the pipe 23 to the water in the compartments 17--18. A drainpipe 28 is provided having connection with the tank 15 at intervalsalong the bottom by means of branches 29, each of which is provided witha suitable valve 30. The drain pipe 28 is also adapted to take care ofany overflow from the tank 15 by means of overflow connections 31leading from the side of the tank at either end thereof. 7

The tank 15 is provided at each side with two housings, the outer faceof each of which is circular, as best shown in Fig. 3, said housingsbeing indicated by the numerals 32, 33, 31 and 35 (see Fig. 1). A shaft36 extends longitudinally through the housings 32-33, having fixedlymounted thereon suitable water wheels 3738 adapted to work in thehousings 32-33. A'shaft 39 is likewise mounted in the housings 34-35,said shaft having fixed thereon paddle wheels 40-41 within the housings34-35. Each of the shafts 36-39 is provided with a gear 42 fixed thereonmeshing with a pinion 43 (see Fig. 4) mounted upon a shaft .41 (see Fig.5) which is journaled at one end in a suitable bearing on the adjacenthousing 3234 and is sup orted at its other end by a plate or brac (at 45which is also The 'the belts 48-49 comprises a plurality mounted upontheshaft 36 and is further water is thrown toward the conveyer belts heldin position relative to the said housing by either the lower portions orthe upper 3234 by means of a bolt 46. Driving portions of the wheels, asis well under wheels 47, preferably in the form of pulleys, stood in thewashing machine art. are fixed upon the shafts 44 and adapted to Forpreventing splashing of the water be driven in any suitable manner fromany from one to the other of the compartments suitable source of power.1718 and from the outer ends of said The conveyer means comprises twoendless compartments, I have provided curtains 70, belts 48-49 (see Fig." 2) one mounted in 71, 72 and 73 of any suitable type, said each ofthe compartments 1718. Each of curtains being preferably hung from theof upper wall 74 of the tank. Each of the curchains 50 connectedtogether by means of tains preferably comprises a plurality oftransversely-extending bars 51, preferably pendants arranged closetogether so that having upturned ends as shown 1n Figs. 3 any articlebeing carried through the maand 6 whereby a lateral flange is rovidedchine upon the conveyer belts will have along each edge of the belt. Thec ains of free movement without danger of tearing the belt 48 aresupported by means of sprocket wheels 52 mounted upontransversely-extending shafts 5354 (see Fig. 2) The chain 48 is drivenby means of a sprocket wheel 55 mounted upon the outer end of the shaft52, as shown 1n Fig. 1,

which is connected by means of a sprocket chain 56 with a sprocket wheel57 mounted upon a short shaft 58 which is connected by any suitablegearing with the shaft 36, such gearing being located within a housing59 as shown in Fig. 1.

The chains 50 of the belt 49 are supported by means of sprocket wheels60 mounted upon transversely-extending shafts 61-62. The chain 49 isdriven from the chain 48 by means of a sprocket wheel 63 mounted upon anextending end of the shaft 61 connected by means of a sprocket chain 64with a sprocket wheel 65 mountedupon an extendin end of the shaft 54(see Flg. 1;.

The upper portions of the be ts 48-49 are supported bylongitudinally-extending bars 66 which in turn are supported by means ofbrackets 67 connected with transversely-extending bars 68 removablysecured between the side walls ofthe tank by means of brackets 69 (seeFigs. 2 and 3).

With the belts 48 and 49" being driven by the means above described soas to move the upper portions of said belts to the right in Figs. 1 and2, the paddle wheels 37 and 38 will be drivenin counterclockwise dithewheels at the other side operating to throw the water downward from theupper portions of the wheels, it will be understood that the arrangementmay be reversedthe curtains. I have found that a pluralitiy of closelyassociated chains or cords is e ective for preventing the escape ofwater while at the same time giving free movement to the articles to bewashed.

For breaking up and spreading the water thrown by the paddle eels 37,38, 40 and 41' so as to cause s water to reach every portion of the tankbetween the oppositely-disposed wheels, I have provided large-meshedscreens 75 of any suitable type through which the water is thrownadapted to contain water, means for supporting the articles to bewashed, and padrdle wheels opposite each other at opposite sides of saidtank for throwing water from said tank upon the articles to be washed,one of said paddle wheels being arranged to throw water upward andacross the articles, andvtheother to throw it downward and across saidarticles.

2. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to contain water, meansfor supporting the articles to be washed while they are moved over thewater in said tank, and paddle wheels at opposite sides of said tank forthrowing water therefrom upon the articles to be washed, one of saidpaddle wheels being arranged to throw water upward and acrossthe'articles and the other to throw it downward and across saidarticles.

- 3. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to contain water, meansfor supporting the articles to be washed while they are moved over thewater in said tank, and paddle wheels opposite each other at oppo- Qlmproved machine is designed pr1- in whole or in part as desired wherebythe sitesides of said tank for throwing water E10 therefrom upon thearticles to be washed, one of said paddle wheels being arranged to throwwater upward and across the articles and the other to throw it downwardand across said articles.

-l. A washing machine comprising a tank divided transversely by atransverse partition into separate compartments, conveyer belts in saidcompartments over the water therein, the inner end portions of saidbelts being adjacent to said partition whereby the articles to be washedare delivered by one of said belts to the other, and means for drivingsaid belts.

5. A washing machine comprising a tank divided transversely by atransverse partition into separate compartments, conveyor belts in saidcompartments over the water therein, the inner end portions of saidbelts being adjacent to said partition whereby the articles to be washedare delivered by one of said belts to the other, driving means connectedwith one of said belts, and means connecting said belts together so thatthey may be driven by said driving means.

6. A washing machine comprising a tank divided transversely by atransverse partition into separate compartments, conveyer belts in saidcompartments over the water therein, the inner ends of said belts beingadjacent to said partition whereby the articles to be washed aredelivered by one of said belts to the other, means disposed laterallywith reference to said belts for throwing water lateraly upon thearticles carried by said belts, and means above said belts adjacent tosaid partition for preventing water from splashing from one compartmentto the other.

7. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to contain water, meansfor moving the articles to be washed over the water in said tank,laterally disposed means for throwing water from said tank upon thearticles to be washed, and a transversely disposed curtain depending inthe path of the articles to be washed and adapted to be engaged thereby,said curtain being composed of a plurality of closely-hung pendants.

GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE.

